When I Was a Boy of Nine
by Steve Zissou
Summary: When I was a boy of nine I loveed you with all my life, all my heart and all my soul, love me now or lose it all. Loki has a playmate when he is nine and she returns to his life years later.


This is INCREDIBLY AU. As in the story of Odin and Frigga and shit Frigga does may not really match anything in any universe, exactly, so DEAL WITH IT. IDK.

Prompted from this post. This song is one I listened to while writing this.

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_When I was a boy of nine I loved you with all my life, all my heart and all my soul, love me now or lose it all._

Frigga is not Odin's chosen wife because of her beauty alone (though it is fairly true that she was of the most fair when he considered his choices in his coming of age) and it is not because she humors him either. Frigga is Odin's chosen wife because when he first proposed she said no, no I do not think so and if you would be so kind as to close the doors to my chambers when you leave, thank you Odin, son of Bor. Frigga is Odin's chosen wife because she challenged him, still does, makes him a better man, made him work to be so terribly hard to gain her trust, her hand, her love, her friendship.

Thus, when Frigga decides, as a young mother of two (one her own, another not of her blood but loved just the same and just as ferociously), that it will be good for her boys to be humbled by trips to Midgard, of all places, Odin agrees. Her wisdom is her own. She has visions, he knows this, and ones she hardly shares for it is her right to do with them as she feels and he trusts that. He trusts that she has seen things and what she does now will be good for the future in some form or fashion. Of course she is sent with a bevvy of guards but only after they are given lessons in Midgardian customs and culture, specifically that of the chosen destination: New York, New York.

Frigga has always been an odd bird about midgardian ways. She doesn't look it but her obsession with them would be found in the books of her private library, in the collection of funny gadgets and things found in her private study. Of course it isn't the only realm she knows well, and that is one more reason of a plethora that explains just why she is the All-Mother. She is wise to be so aware of the realms, Odin knows this and so Odin trusts her idea.

Loki looks to be nine years old and Thor, only a year older, looks much older, for he grows faster and stronger than his younger brother at an alarming rate. Alarming to Frigga, for she knows others find his growth to be something to celebrate. It goes straight to Thor's head and makes Loki look down at his feet too often for Frigga's comfort. This is when she begins to take them on trips, one a month, to midgard, but after only three months of this Thor asks if he may skip them all together so he might focus on training more with the warriors. Reluctantly, Frigga allows him this. She has seen the future, she knows now may not be the time for Thor to learn his lessons.

This leaves her with Loki and when she asks if he too would rather not return to midgard she is met with a furrowed brow, a look of confusion.

"But I thought you said we could visit one of their musuems…"

Her smile is warm, her heart light. She nods.

"Yes, I did. We'll go tomorrow, dearheart."

When his green eyes light up bright she knows her plan is still a good one.

They are in Central Park the day he meets her. She has a paper hat on her head and she wears an eyepatch over her chunky glasses and tells him if he doesn't surrender then she'll have to bomb his ship and let it sink.

"What ship?"

She sighs and he half expects her to do what Thor might, shake her head and walk away now to avoid having to deal with too many questions about this game she is playing. Instead she sighs then puts her hands on her hips as she says, "it's pretend, you have to pretend it's there."

She is six, she says, and her name is Darcy but he can call her Captain Darcy the Daring, unless he'd rather play something else like space ships or maybe jungle expedition, she doesn't mind really what they play as long as she remains in charge, thank you very much. He isn't quite sure he likes having to take orders from a six year old midgardian girl with glasses that magnify her eyes to bug like proportions but he has to pretend that he is a midgardian boy and mother says this is what children in midgard do. They don't always spend their days doing lessons, sometimes they spend the day playing pretend games, even boys his age, and that is okay sometimes.

However, just because he is less brash than Thor does not mean he is prone to following orders or doing what he is supposed to. He makes a face at her and quickly walks back to his mother to find her sitting on a bench near the play area with a book in her hand. She looks awfully plain in midgardian garb but very stern when she lowers the book to see him coming back from where the girl stands. Her gaze shifts to the girl and he looks over his shoulder. She looks sad, looks how he sometimes looks when Thor abandons him for other friends.

"Loki Odinson," Frigga narrows her eyes.

"Mother, she is so str-"

"You go over there right this instant and you apologize."

"But MOTHER!"

"No buts about it, young man, you are here another hour and you had better make the most of it or you won't be pleased with where I take our trip."

"Oh no, not that, mother anything but that. I hated that trip, all those tourists and all that pushing and…."

"Then do as I say. Don't argue with me, go."

As it turns out his mother's wisdom is truly something to admire. Though it is a rocky start and there is arguing on who is in charge of who and what game they might play, by the time an hour is up he found himself begging for more time. Mother, mother we only just discovered the seceret ice passage- Miss Loki's Mom, Miss Loki's Mom PLEAAAASEEEE JUST ONE MORE HOUR. OKAY THIRTY MINUTES. FIVE? FIVE MINUTES.

This sort of outing happens only three more times and everytime it is on the same day, at the same time, and the same spot. Everytime Loki grows more and more impatient with his mother's need to smooth out his hair and lecture him on keeping it secret where he really comes from, who he really is.

"Mom, Mom I know," he has taken to calling her mom, just like the little Darcy girl. "Mom I KNOW OKAY BYE!"

Everytime he promises Darcy he'll be back in a month, they'll continue their adventure in a month, it'll be perfect because they'll find the gold and the dinosaur bones and the missing hiker and she had better make him one of those hats too the next time and he will bring wooden swords to play with if his father lets him.

But he breaks his promise. He doesn't mean to but Frigga knows it will be a long time yet before he ever sees Darcy again. He is told he has other duties he needs to focus on, he needs to learnt he ways of battle like his brother and he needs to study, study, study to be a good, smart, cunning Prince of Asgard. All that passes must happen and Frigga knows this; knowing as much is her burden to bear.

In Asgard Loki has been alive a thousand years when he falls from the bridge. It's only been twenty that have passed on Midgard for time works differently for each realm and the movement through it is different as well. His mind is far gone by stress, worry, sadness, angry, terror, torture, crazed ideas that are not completely his own and memories of a time spent in Midgard, with a little girl that had an imagination beyond most, are not ones he can find easily even after he is defeated by the Avengers.

But Darcy remembers it like it was only yesterday. Of course she was only six, so when Thor had first come into her life she didn't quite make the connection, wasn't sure she could rely on memories like that to being real or just some silly imaginary friend she had as a child. Then Loki makes his big debut, is defeated, and Darcy knows she didn't imagine a damn thing. She gives Thor the strangest look when he comes to visit. This is well after Loki is returned home.

Mostly he is there for Jane but Thor can't help but feel confused when Darcy narrows her eyes at him and tilts her head in a birdlike fashion. He almost feels as if he is guilty of something but of what he can not be sure.

"Lady Darcy?"

She pushes her tongue against the hollow of her cheek.

"When you were a kid did your mom make you have play dates with other kids?"

"What…?"

"Seriously, like, did your mom… "

"No. Well, yes, but not me. I was allowed to spend my days training with the warriors. But Loki.." his voice is strained, this thing with Loki has taken it's toll on him. He shakes his head and takes a breath but Darcy moves forward quick and sets a hand on his arm.

"Dude, I have to see him!"

"Lady Darcy I don't understand-"

"Ask your mom, I'm serious, ask her."

She drops it and Thor is left baffled, as is Jane but when Darcy says she has to go they take advantage of their time together and questions about what that was all about are not asked. It doesn't leave Thor's mind though. It's a strange question to be sure but when he returns to Asgard he is met by his mother as well as Heimdell and he knows that there is something to the question, something he does not understand but Frigga has seen this coming as she has many things.

"Mother, I don't understand."

"It has always been my burden to bear, knowing the possible futures but not knowing if I could do anything about it. You are not meant to understand, my son, and I do not mean that unkindly. Bring her, I have already spoken to your father and Heimdell. Bring her."

Loki has served the brunt of his punishment. His mind is swept clean of the traces of poisonus magic that kept him a prisoner, he has spent a year with a mouth sewn shut, has spent a year confined to his room with his magic stripped of him and nothing but the comfort of his books to keep him sane. It is in his books he begins to remember and it's only because a book that does not belong to his library appears out of seemingly no where. It's called Treasure Island and the second he reads the title he has a sliver of a memory catching his thoughts.

_I'm the captain!_

_No! I am the captain, you're the maiden that is-_

_GIRLS CAN BE PIRATE CAPTAINS TOO!_

Loki reads the book ravenously. The next day another appears. This one is about a man named Tarzan.

_Me Darcy, you Loki._

_Why are you talking like that?_

_Loki, that's how ape people talk, honestly._

_Oh. Okay._

The next day he finds a copy of Sherlock Holmes on his bed.

_ELEMENTARY, MR LOKI!_

_I found a clue._

_No, that's just a dog bone, gross don't touch it because it still has dog slo-DON'T CHASE ME WITH IT GROSS!_

He is reading The Jungle Book when there is a knock on his door. He isn't used to anyone knocking but his mother, the only one who visits. He also suspects it is she who leaves him these Midgardian books but he says nothing to her about it. Loki allows her to enter by calling out to say as much but when he turns to look to where he knows she will come to stand he finds his heart in his throat and his eyes widening.

Darcy has grown several feet. Her eyes are not bug eyed behind her glasses anymore and her mouth is painted red and curling upward in a shy smile like a beautiful ribbon. It fades quick when he says nothing, when he does not smile back. Her heart hammers wildly in her chest and she wonders if he can hear it because it has to be that loud.

"You said you would come back."

Her voice is not as high pitched. It lacks the bossiness he is used to coming from those lips but there is an attitude there and he finds it rather appealing to hear. He still says nothing but blinks stupidly at her.

"And you said you would totally bring wooden swords."

"I remember."

"Do you?"

She steps closer and then past him and starts to look around his room. It's really just the sitting room, not his actual sleeping chambers, and it's large and impressive to a Midgardian like her but she doesn't look that impressed. Not until she comes across his books and she finds familiar titles. Her laugh is like music to his ears. He glances to the door and knows beyond it are many guards. He wonders how this has come to pass. A girl in his room. A helpless midgardian girl.

"I forgot, for just a little while."

"I heard," and she whirls around with a copy of Sherlock Holmes in her hand, a terribly wicked grin on her painted lips. His heart skips a beat, he feels silly because she is just a midgardian and aren't they meant to be-

"Well, it's okay. I forgot to make you a hat out of newspaper."

It's unheard of, it really is. Loki knows many don't understand it and he almost thinks his father is finally doubting his mother but anytime Odin has something to say about the arrangement he gets a glare from the All-Mother and nothing is said at all. Thor is the most estatic though, the most encouraging, beyond Frigga. He has missed his brother dearly and Darcy's visits bring him back piece by piece. There is always mischief there because that is Loki's way but with Darcy at his side he feels the courage to find his own way, to not feel confined to Thor's shadow.

Sometimes, Darcy tells him it's strange that they should be friends but she doesn't mind how difficult it is either. She says when she was six he was her best friend. Sometimes she gets mad at him though because he says things about being better, about being above her (mostly when he is in a mood). Sometimes he gets mad because she proves to him he isn't better, especially when it comes to playing something called poker or to any other number of midgardian games she insists they play. That's not all they do though. They don't just play, they relearn how to be friends. He finds his passion for magic encouraged by her, he finds that even if people on Asgard don't value a man learning these things that there are places where people would welcome him with open arms if he would only put his gifts to good use.

It's not easy. People on Midgard don't want to trust him at first, especially not the likes of SHIELD and the Avengers but Thor helps, Darcy helps, and even Jane helps when she tells off Tony Stark for saying something crude about Loki coming to assist them in some global crisis. Soon even Tony is on Loki's side and it's been six midgardian years since the invasion when he really begins to feel at peace with himself, with everything around him.

It's seven midgardian years that have passed when he first finds the courage to kiss her. It's only three months later that they exchange rings under the monkey bars of the place where they first met in Central Park.

Darcy Lewis is not Loki's chosen wife because of her beauty alone (though she is quite stunning, even by Asgardian standards) and it's not because she humors him either (though often she does but usually with a roll of her eyes and a small smirk). Darcy Lewis is Loki's chosen wife because she is the one who asked him and really this is not a story about how Darcy became Loki's wife, but how he became her best friend, playmate, first mate and the Dr. Watson to her Sherlock Holmes how Loki became Darcy's husband and love of his long life.


End file.
